


Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever

by Mrs_Don_Draper



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fever, First Kiss, Friendship/Love, M/M, Schmoop, Sharing a Bed, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-07
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 16:38:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/915525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_Don_Draper/pseuds/Mrs_Don_Draper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Kirk/McCoy. A lot of people say that doctors make bad patients. Bones comes down with the space flu and Kirk takes care of him, and he's whiny as all hell...until Jim comes to take care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When McCoy awoke that day the first thing he noticed was the ache in his head. Then he became aware of his rosy cheeks in the mirror over his sink, which seemed to be the exact opposite of chills that were currently traveling up his spine. So he did what any doctor would have done for a patient; he gave himself a hypo to the arm and went on with his day. He forgot, however, that most doctors would have recommended bed rest until the fever had passed. By the time he had entered sick bay, he was trying to cover up a cough.

"Dr. McCoy, don't you think you should take the day off? I can take care of everything while you rest," says Nurse Chapel.

"I'm fine. I took a hypo, and it's probably just a twenty-four hour thing anyway," he brushes her off.

She eyes him doubtfully. "I can't have you around sick patients, Doctor, with all due respect. It's my professional and personal opinion that you sleep this off."

"I told you that I'm fi-!" he started to say before his irritated throat caused him to cough so badly that he felt tired when the fit passed.

"I'm calling the Captain down."

McCoy was too weak to protest.

"What were you thinking? You're too sick to work," said Jim, assisting his friend back to his quarters.

"I was thinkin' that I would do some work and not let the flu drag me down."

"But Bones, you're a doctor, not an idiot."

"Don't be a smart aleck, Jim. It doesn't suit you."

Jim chooses to ignore this comment. It was probably just his fever talking. His temperature was 101.4, several degrees over what was considered normal. He walked McCoy over to his bed and leaned down to help him take off his shoes and to get into his favorite sweats. He took the heavy blanket out of the closet and draped it over his friend. It seemed to Jim that Bones was asleep, and he was just about to exit the room when he heard Bones call to him.

"Is there something else you need me to do?" he asked.

"Need you to stay with me."

Jim did not hesitate before saying, "Ok. I'll be here for you."

He walked over to the communicator pad on the wall, relayed a message to the engineer to take the conn, and went back over by Bones.

"Jim, I feel like I'm freezing."

"I could get another blanket if you want."

"No, you can't do that. I'd get too hot for my body to fight off the fever."

"What do you want me to do?"

"You're gonna think I'm crazy for asking."

"Try me."

"Will you lay down with me?"

The silence between them lasted for a few moments before Jim answered quietly, "Ok, Bones."

Jim walked to the other side of the bed and sat down to take off his own shoes and socks. He hesitated before also taking off his shirt. It was how he normally slept anyway. He lifted up the blanket and covered himself up in it and slid his body up against McCoy. Jim suppressed a shudder of contentment. Their relationship was a comfortable one of jokes and scoldings and secrets and even a drunken kiss or two, but nothing had ever happened past that. Jim didn't want to act on those wild moments where he felt a tingling sensation when his friend would hug him or whisper in his ear in a way that made goose bumps show up on his arms because why ruin a perfectly wonderful thing? And now they were in bed together, spooned against Bones' hot body. He shifted his hips away from his friend, hoping his halfie had gone unnoticed.

Bones sticks out a hand to stop him from moving further away. "It's ok, Jim."

"No, it's not ok. I shouldn't be molesting you in your sleep while you're sick," he says by way of an apology.

"Well, it's good to know you'd molest me in my sleep when I'm not sick," McCoy teases in a slightly sleepy voice.

"I'll go now," he says, making a move to get up.

"No. Please stay. Really, it's alright."

"Bones..."

"It's okay, Jim."

Sick and more than a little tired, the doctor moves to cuddle against his friend and captain. Jim didn't have it in him to protest again. This was perfect. It was exactly what Jim had been wanting and it was tugging at his heart strings, making him choke up. McCoy must have noticed because he pulled Jim's head so he could whisper in his ear, "Easy, kid, you're alright." 

"Wanted this. Wanted this for so goddamn long," he whispers in the semi-dark of Bones' room.

"It's alright. I'm here now," Bones reassures.

The feelings between them was so achingly sweet and perfect that neither of them could resist sharing a chaste kiss.

"Let's just sleep. You're sick, remember?" says Jim, becoming contentedly sleepy himself.

"Whatever you say, kid."

But Jim was already asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"ACHOO!"

"Captain, that is the fourth time you've sneezed in the past minute. Your face is pale, and you have a cough. I would strongly recommend that you report to sick bay while I take over for you," said Spock that fateful next morning.

"Alright, but can you all stop yelling? You're giving me a head ache. And Scotty, can't you dim the lights? They're piercing into my eyes," Jim mumbles before he stumbling off the bridge, the crew giving him odd looks.

When the doors shut, Scotty pronounces, "The lights are exactly the same from yesterday."

Meanwhile, Kirk was making his way down to see Bones. He had a, well, a bone to pick with him.

"You got me sick!" he laments, hopping up on a biobed after listing off his ailments to Nurse Chapel.

"Oh yes, I planned to get sick on Monday and intentionally lured you to my bed and purposely kissed you, all so I could spread disease around the ship. Looks like you saw right through me evil plan," says McCoy sarcastically, but not unkindly.

Jim lets out an annoyed sigh. "I know it wasn't on purpose. I just feel crappy, and I want you to make me feel better."

Bones gives him a half smile. "I know that, Jim. Let me get you a hypospray and then you'll be back on your feet this time tomorrow."

"I've got a better idea." 

He hops off his bed.

"What's that?"

Jim gave Bones a kiss on his lips.

"That."

This time Bones gives him a full smile.

"What am I gonna do with you, Jim?"


End file.
